Refrigerating apparatus



B. THOENSY.`

REFRlGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.22, |919.

Patented Feb. 229 i921.

61H01 megs.

UNT-TED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

BURCHARD THOENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Illatent.- Patented Feb. 22, 1921 Original application led May 28, 1919, Serial No. 300,307. Divided and this application led December To all ywhom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, BURCHARD THoENs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at New `York city, New York county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in` apparatus for refrigerating and has for its object to provide an improved apparatus combining the advantages of the vacuum and absorption systems of refrigeration, at the same time avoiding the disadvantageous features of these systems.

In the vacuum system a tank is provided having a vacuum pump associated therewith for creating a vacuum therein above the surface of the refrigerant. The vaporization which takes place at the upper surface of the refrigerant, owing to the low pressure in the tank, cools theremainder of the refrigerant which is circulated through an external circuit including an ice box, refrigerator, or other similar cooling device. It has usually been found that in addition to the vacuum pump it is necessary to use an acid to absorb the vapors and remove them from the tank to insure rapid vaporization, and also to avoid the use of a very large vacuum pump.

In theI absorption system a liquid is used as a refrigerantv4 which is easily dissolved in water but which has a low vaporization temperature. A generator is provided which contains refrigerant` in solution. Heat is applied to the generator to vol'atilize the refrigerant which passes into a condenser where it is liquefied and from the condenser the refrigerant flows through an expansion valve, being expanded from a liquid to a gas. In. thus expanding, the refrigerant absorbs heat in a well known manner to cool the interior ofan'ice box, or to do similarA work. After having passed through this external work circuit it flows into anabsorbent in `which is located a considerable quantity of a weak solution of the refrigerant.

The refrigerant passing into the absorber is dissolved in this weak solution making it stronger and pipes are provided connectmg the generator with the absorber for transferring the stronger solution 1n the absorber to the generator, and the weaker 'solution 1n 22, 1919. Serial No. 346,550.-

the generator to the absorber, for strengthenlng.

. In my invention I make use of theprinciple of the vacuum system in that I cool a large body of refrigerant by creating a vacuum above it in a tan and causing it to vaporize and then circulate the cooled refrigerant through the external work circuit. Instead of using thel ordinary refrigerant, such aswater, which is ordinarily used in the vacuum system, I use a solutionv of ammonia or similiar liquid, which is easily vaporized, andinstead of conducting away and losing the vapors, as is done in the vacuum system, I provide an absorbing tank in which the vapors are absorbed and the strong solution created thereby returned to the vaporizing tank. .The weak solution of the vaporizing tank is at the same time constantly transferred to the absorbing'tank to come in contact with and absorb an additional amount of refrigerant. n Thls process is continuous, provided there is noleakage,

and the apparatus will run for a great length of time without attention.

1n my improved apparatus, which combines as above expla1ned,the vacuum'and the absorption systems, I'avoid the use of acids peculiar to vacuum systems and avoid the use of the condenser and expansion valve', also the heat supplljying mechanism of the absorption system. one of the various combinations of my apparatus are subjected to high pressures such as exist in the absorption system vin the generator, condenser, and piping between the generator and the expansion valve'. There 1s, therefore, little tendency for the refrigerant to escape from the system. The danger of explosion is also avoided, as well as decomposition of the refri erant itself.

his application is a division of my pnding application Serial No. 300,307, filed ay 28, 1919, in which the method followed is fully described and claimed.

The invention win be fuuy diseased in the following description when taken in con'- nection with the accompanying drawings in Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings which illustrate a preferred form of apparatus for -carrying out the invention, the reference numeral 10 indicates a vaporizing tank containing a body of refrigerant, such as ammonia in solution, and the tank 11 is an absorbin tank which is about one-half full of the soIution. Connecting the tanks 10 and 1l are three separate conduits or pipe lines indicated at 12, 13 and 14 in the drawings. The conduit 12 has one end communicating with'the top of the tank 10 and its other end opening near the bottom of the tank 11, and

tank 11, emerging from the conduit 12 near the bottom thereof, where they are absorbed by the solution in this latter tank. Through the conduit 13 a warm, strong solution of the refrigerant is constantly being withdrawn from the tank 11 and transferred to the tank 10, the flow being caused by the difference in pressure existing in the two tanks. The lnlet end of conduit 13 is located in a position to catch the strongest solution in the tank 11 and the outlet end is located at the top of the tank 10 over a baffle plate 16 so that the strong solution entering this tank is instantly subjected to the reduced pressure, thus immediately starting Vaporization. The inlet of conduit 14 is at the bottom of the tank 10 and its outlet at the bottom of tank 11, and through this conduit isv constantly passing a cool weak solution of the refrigerant. Inasmuch as the solution passing through the conduit 14 is passing from a region of low pressure to a region of higherpressure, a pump is necessar such asa rotary pump, which is indicate at 17 in the drawing.

The conduit 13 includes a tank 18 surrounding von all sides a smaller tank 19 which is included in theconduit 14. These tanks are liquid tight so that the liquids passing throu h the respective conduits cannot interming e and the purpose of this arrangement 'is to bring the two li uid currents into as close relation aspossi le without mixing them. It is desirable that the strong or rich solution entering the Vaporizing tank should be as cold as possible, while the comparatively -Weak solutlon passingy to the absorbing tank may be quite warmand by means of the arrangement illustrated the heat of the fluid passm through one con duit is lar ely given o by conduction to the liquid owing in/the opposite direction.

This portion of the apparatus is known as the heat exchanger.

A fourth conduit 20 has its inlet in the bottom of the tank' 10 and its outlet in the top of this tank, the intermediate portion being disposed conveniently in some ice box, refrigerator, or cold room, of any description. A pump 21 is included in this circuit and its function is to constantly cause a positive circulation ofthe cold solution from the vaporizing tank 10 through the external or work circuit. To aid the absorber to rapidly absorb vapors entering through the conduit12, it is provided with a coil 22 through which cooling Water is constantly circulated.

From the above description the operation of the apparatus will be apparent. If the refrigerant consists of a solution of am# monia gas in Water, for every pound of ammonia gas withdrawn from the solution in the tank 10 about 825 B. T. are extracted from thl solution, and when a pound of ammonia gas is absorbed in the solution in the tank 11 the 825 B. T. U. are liberated and the system therefore constantly transfers heat from the Work circuit 20 to the absorbing tank 11, from which it is removed partly by radiation and partly by conduction to a stream of cold water' passing through the coil 22.

In Fig. 2 I have shown instead of the vacuum .pump 15 an ejector 23 for creating a Vacuum in the tank 10. Solution drawn from the bottom of tank 11 is forced byv vacuum in the tank 10.

It is obvious that other arrangements and modifications of my invention may be made and I do not limit myself to the exact form shown and described.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, an evaporating tank, an absorbing tank, means for evaporating the refrigerant in said tank by creating a partial vacuum therein and for transferring the vapors to the absorbing tank, means for transferring the stron solution of warm refrigerant .from the a sorbing tank to the evaporating tank, means for transferring a part of the Weak solution of cool refrigerant from the evaporating tank to the absorbing ltank, and means whereby a part of the cool refrigerant is circulated in a closed circuit including the evaporating tank, for the purpose set forth.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in'com-bination, an evaporating tank, an absorbing tank, a conduit for va ors connecting sald evapora'ting tank wit thel absorbing tank, sald conduit including means for creating a partial vacuum in the eva orating tank and forcing va ors from t e refrigerant into the absor ing tank means for transferring the strong solution of warm refrigerant from the absorbing tank to the evaporating tank, means for transferring a part of the we ak solution .of cool refrigerant from the evagorating tank to the absorbing tank, a con uit for' cool liquid refrigerant having its ends communicating with the evaporator, and means for circulating a throu h sald conduit.

3. refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, an evaporating tank, an abfsorbing tank, a conduit for vapors connecting the top of said evaporating tank with the interior of said absorbin tank near the bottom thereof said con uit including means for creating a partial vacuum inthe evaporating tank and forcing the va ors from the refrigerant vinto the absor ing tank, means for transferring the strong solution of warm refrigerant from the bottom of the absorbing tank to the to of the evapora'ting tank, means for trans erring a part of the weak solution of cool refrigerant from the bottom of the evaporating tank to theabsorbing tank, a conduit for cool liquid refrigerant having its ends communicating respectively with the top and bottom of the evaprating tank, and means for circulating a part .of the cool refrigerant through said conduit for the purpose set forth.

4:. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, an evaporating tank, an absorbing tank, a conduit connecting the top of sai evaporating tank with the absorbing tank, said conduit including a pump-for creating a partial vacuum in the evaporating tank and forcing the vapors fromv the refrigerant into the absorbing tank, means for transferring the strong Solution of worm refrigerant from the absorbing tank to the evaporating tank, meansfor-trans.- ferring a part ofthe weak solution of cool refrigerant from the evaporating tank to art of` the cool refrigeranty the absorbing tank, a conduit for cool liquid refrigerant having its ends communicating with the evaporator, and a pump for circulating a art of the cool refrigerant through said con uit. v

5. A' refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, an evaporating tank, an absorbin tank, a conduity connecting the top of sai .evaporating` tank with the absorbing tank, said conduit including a pump for creating a partial vacuum in the evaporatin tank and forcing the vapors from the re rigerant. into the absorbing tank, means for transferring the strong solution of warm refrigerant from the absorbing tank to the evaporating tank, means for transferring a part of the weak solution of cool refrigerant from the vaporizing tank to the absorbing tank, said last two mentioned 4means having portions in close relation to each other whereby the heat of the hot solution passing in one direction is partially transferred'to the cool solution passing in the other direction, a conduit for cool liquid refrigerant having its ends communicating with the evaporator, andI means for circu- .lating a art of the cool refrigerant through said con uit.

6.- A refrigerating apparatus comprislng 1n combination, an evaporatmg tank, an abf sorbing tank, a conduit for vapors connecting sald evaporating tank with the absorb- `ing tank, sald conduit including means for creating a partial vacuum in the evaporating tank`and forcing vapors from the refrigerant into the absorbing tank, means for transferring the strong solution of warm refrigerant from the absorbing tank to the evaporating tank, means for transferring a part of the weak solution of cool refrigerant from the evaporating tank to the absorbing tank, a conduit for cool liquid refrigerant having its ends communicating with the evaporator, means for circulating a part of the cooled refrigerant through said conduit, and a cooling coil in said absorbing tank for coolingl the solution therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BURCHARD THOENS. 

